Insights

We’re excited the 2026 Annual Meeting of the International Trademark Association (INTA) will take place from 2–6 May at ExCeL London, UK. Our London team is on hand in case you have any questions about preparing your visit to the next INTA Annual Meeting.  

As of 1 February 2026, new rules came into effect for patent applicants using the EPO’s PACE programme. Marion Bénetière explains what has changed.

Many specialists do not consider intellectual property when creating new games, yet it plays a vital role in securing creativity. Alban Radivojevic provides a practical introduction to the core video game intellectual property rights: trademarks, copyright and design rights.

Commercial concepts, such as ‘quiet luxury’, can easily catch the public’s imagination, but that doesn’t mean they can be registered as trademarks, says Laetitia Maufroy. She shares key lessons from the EUIPO’s January 2026 decision on the sign ‘Quite Luxury’.  

The priority rule is an essential tool for EU trademark owners, since it allows applicants to obtain protection retroactively. However, a recent judgment by the EU General Court has reaffirmed that its use cannot be stretched indefinitely (at least in EU trademark law).

Is a sign consisting of a date sufficiently distinctive to be registered as a trademark in the watch and jewellery sector? In September 2025, the General Court of the European Union answered this in the negative regarding the application by watchmaker Montres Tudor SA to register ‘1926’ as a trademark right.

The ChatGPT Instant Checkout ushers in a new era of conversational commerce. Brands need to adapt their brand protection and anti-counterfeiting strategies to secure their sales in the AI era.

With the end of the transitional period for Brexit cloned trademarks fast approaching, cloned UK marks could become vulnerable to cancellation for non-use. Vanessa Harrow shares what brand owners need to know about the changes and what steps they can take to ensure their intellectual property rights remain secure, valid and enforceable.

The UK Intellectual Property Office has announced that fees across its patents, trademarks and registered designs services will rise by an average of 25% from 1 April 2026, subject to parliamentary approval.